


Memento Mori

by eichika



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Funeral, Future AU, Gen, M/M, i fixed this kinda, not really shippy just implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 13:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10105448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eichika/pseuds/eichika
Summary: "Tsukinaga-kun, write me a song."Leo gets suprised by things he should have expected and try to forget things he should maybe remember.





	

**Author's Note:**

> there isn't enough eileo fics so i had to write one myself sorry

He shouldn't have been as suprised as he was. It wasn't like it was a surprise, something that nobody would have seen coming, right ? Yet he couldn't help the suddain feel of chock that took his guts when he learnt the news. Somehow, he had imagined that it would happen in a spectacular way, on stage, in front of a adorating public, sure, this would have suited him better. Or maybe, in some years, when they would all have been older, taken differents paths and forgotten about their highschool years, then he would have learnt about it on TV without meaning to, and would have gone the rest of his da without caring too much.  
Anyway, he certainly didn't expect it to learn it with a yext from Ritsu only months after graduating.  
This was unusual for him to text Leo, most of his phone activity coming from Sena, who had apparently decided to continue to act as his mom even after they graduated, always asking him what he wanted to do after the holidays, if they should be going to college or any other topics that seemed very distant to Leo. Naru, too, was often sending him texts, mainly to update him on life's at Yumenosaki, and how things were going for Knights (Amazingly good, if Arashi was telling the truth, which was making Leo a bit jealous because he had to admit the blond seemed to be a way better King, well Queen, than he was).  
Ritsu, on the other hand, wasn't the type to text - or even communicate - much, and that's why Leo, when he woke up that morning and saw a strange amount of texts on his phone's screen, read this one first.

  
"ecchan passed away"

  
Ah. That felt weird. Mechanically, he read the other texts, most of them being from the other Knights member, and being pretty much the same as Ritsu's, telling him about the news, and another from Keito. This one was a bit different, it felt like a group text, had the date and place of the funeral and was saying that anyone who wanted to come could. It also gave more details about how it happened, Eichi just went to sleep and never woke up, his heart stopped beating in the middle of the night, giving a peaceful and painless death.  
How ironic, he thought, that blockhead Emperor had waited for death all his short life and when it finally came he didn't even have the chance to look at it in the eyes.

Sure, that probably wasn't the first thing you're supposed to think when you learn that someone you knew passed away at such a young age but, to his defense, his brain seemed to have given up on any rational thought right now. Oh and first of all why was he invited ? As long as he could remember him and Eichi were never, to say the least, the best of friends. Fuck, last time they got too close to each other it ended with him leaving the school and Eichi having to go to the hospital. Didn't Eichi consider Leo as nothing but a toy after all ? Didn't he try to ruin his life and those of his Knights ? Should he maybe feel sorry for the guy ? Definitely not. Hell, maybe the guy even had it coming, there was no reason for Leo to go to the funeral and cry a river above his coffin. That was none of his business, he didn't care.

  
_______________________

  
Well, Leo had never been known for his ability to do what he said he would. It wasn't that he changed his mind but he loves Ritsu and Tsukasa, and both happen to have some kind of affection to Tenshouin so it's his role as a King to be here for his Knights. He had once been absent for too long because of his quarell with Eichi, he couldn't let it happen again.  
So that's the reason why he's on his way to the place Keito texted him, at least that's what he is trying really hard to convince himself of.  
The truth is that he has kind of a need to go, to be there. As morbid as it is, he has to see the ceremony himself to fully comprehend the reality of The Emperor's death. Yeah, to finally bring some closure to whatever it was they had at some point, move on, close the book of their story, put in on a shelf and never think about it again. That sounded like a good plan.  
It was strange to think that Eichi really died. To think that his life had ended and that all memories people had of him belonged now to the past. For Leo, it meant that he would never again see his annoying smug (or his radiant genuine smile), that he would never again hear his edgy monologues (or hear him singing), and he would never see him on stage again (he still remembered the first time he went to one of fine's performances).

  
Oh. He wasn't supposed to remember all of this actually.

  
Before coming back to Yumenosaki, it took him a lot of energy to forget most of his two first years of highschool and today, or any other day, wouldn't be the day they would come back to him, it better not. However intrusive thoughts are intrusive and he couldn't stop himself from wondering : what if...  
What if it happenned another way ? Leo had always been sure of it, they weren't so different. He knew Eichi felt the same, Izumi told him once. Maybe, just maybe, they could have been friends, actual friends, if everything didn't go wrong.  
He remembered that, during his second year, he once tought that they could have been close -in a healthy way this time- when they would be older. It was not long before their final showdown that sent him away, he was in the sudent council room after getting in trouble, and Eichi had asked him :

  
_"Tsukinaga-kun, write me a song."_

  
He couldn't remember what he said exactly back then -probably something rude, between to burst of laughing, very Leo like- but anyway, the events that followed this moment had refrained him for doing so. He wished he had, though. He didn't say yes at first because he knew, or it was more like a subconscious gut feeling, that saying yes to anything Eichi would ask him would ended up badly but it doesn't change the fact he had wanted to. He had thought that maybe, he could write one - or many - for Eichi when they would be professionals idols. Maybe, one day in the future.

  
Eichi doesn't have a future anymore.

  
The realisation punched him the guts. His brain took Izumi's most annoyed voice to remind him that _Yeah, dumbass, that's what being dead means_. It still aches though.  
Leo thanked the gods he didn't really believe in that he was arrived at the funeral because he was close to puke his lunch inside his car and this way he could just go inside the batiment, talk to people, _yeah sure_ , and not think about things.

  
___________________

 

There was quite a lot of people, all wearing black, around the door. He could recognize some boys from Yumenosaki but he went straight to join Sena and the others.  
Suou was crying in Naru's arms who was also crying, and Izumi didn't seemed to know what to do with himself, putting on his best frowned eyebrows face and playing with his fingers in some nervous mechanism.

  
_''Ah, Ousama, you're finally here ? Let's just go inside so we can get this to end quickly..._  '' Leo didn't respond, busy looking around the crowd, but he noticed that his friend's voice was shaking, even if he was obviously trying hard to look like he didn't want to be here. That wasn't really Izumi-like but him and Eichi had been classmates after all, and Leo knew Izumi was more sensitive that he usually let it show.

  
The crowd started to get inside the room, and he could spot some more known faces. Ritsu was here with his friend from Trickstar, as well as fine's and Akatsuki's members -Leo had never seen Keito looking this tired, he kinda felt sorry for the guy- and, more surprisingly, all the oddballs were here as well.  
They had that look on their face : atone, empty, and the eyes full of... regret ? Leo wasn't maybe the most normal dude around but it was hard even for him to know what those folks were thinking.  
Leo realized he probably had the same look on his face right now. Like him, the Oddballs were guys who had wished death upon Eichi's many times, sometimes on impulse beauce anger, other times because they really meant it.  
All this war stuff, it just seems like a big, stupid, unfunny joke now, he thought to himself.  
  
Sure, Eichi did them all wrong, really really wrong, but now it felt like nothing but a fight between dumb highschool boys. After all, it's what they were, highschool kids who still had their whole life in front of them and would have probably forgotten all about it when they'll be adults, but it wasn't the same for Eichi. For him, Yumenosaki and his youth was all he would know, he had no years beyond him to forget, forgive, and laugh it off.  
Leo suddenly felt terribly angry, or terribly sad, he couldn't really tell.  
Since he was constanty talking about his own death, did Eichi knew that would happen ? That his enemies would all come cry for him at his funeral ?  
Leo wondered if there was something after death, and if Eichi was here, as a ghost or anything, watching them all and laughing at them for being so pathetic. If he was, _fuck you_ , he tought, _what's pathetic is to have more friends at your funeral than next to you when you were alive_.  
  
He was still feeling tricked, in a way, like if Eichi had played them into hating him, and having fun now seeing them realizing that maybe they didn't want him dead as much as they thought. He knew it was irrational to think Eichi could have predicted all that, even when he would die, but it was still better to be angry than thinking of Eichi going to bed, wondering what he'd do the next day, and never opening his eyes again.

  
The ceremony started. More people from the school arrived. There was a blond woman near the coffin who looked totally lost, probably Tenshouin's mother. Oh god, the coffin. Leo was trying his best not to look at it but somehow took a glimpse of the boy's corpse and that felt weird like really really really weird. Like accidentally seeing something you weren't supposed to see. Eichi looked exactly the same, if he wasn't for his closed eyes, you wouldn't have known he was dead. A boy with pink hair was crying in the front row. He could feel his stomach tangling in his belly. Ugh, he had to get out of here. So he stood up, mumbled something to Izumi and walked straight for the exit.

  
On his way out however, he ended up spotting a piano in a corner of the hall.  
Oh right, he remembered having asked Keito if it was possible for him to play any intrument during the ceremony. Keito said yes, that he would ask his people to bring a piano. Stupid dumb idea, honestly, what was he even thinking ? Anyway, Keito had probably guessed Leo would have forgotten about his request by the time the ceremony would take place and just left the intrument there instead of the main room. As one more bad decision wouldn't really make a difference now, Leo put his fingers on the black and white keys and started playing. And while the notes were flewing in the air, came back at him the memories of the last discussion he had with Eichi, right before everything between them fell apart. It was at the end of their second year, before the live between fine and Knights when Leo lost to him. It was when they had met in the garden, near the place the tea club had its reunions, he could still feel the nice weather with the dim light of the evening sun.

\---------------

  
" _Since fine and Knights' live is coming soon, should we gamble Tsukinaga-kun ? Who do you think will win this... no, what would you want from me if you win ?_ "

  
At this time, Leo was so confident in his ability to win against Eichi, sure of being the number one idol at Yumenosaki, a genius that no one could compete with. Eichi always looked so weak and with one foot in the grave, so didn't help keeping his ego quiet either. Thinking of it now, maybe it's a good thing that he lost, it helped him realizing that he really was just a boy and not a King, and how he should've taken better care of his Knights.

" _Gambling with you ??? Isn't that the same as signing a pact with Satan ? Right Tenshi ? Did you know Lucifer used to be an angel too ? That really makes you the devil then ahahah ! Ah...But i'm going to beat you anyway so I don't risk anything you know... Hmm I would like, once I've won, to be finally free from you, that would be nice..."_

  
He had said that just to piss off Eichi but if he was honest, he actually enjoyed Eichi's company. The boy was so dramatic and a bit of an asshole but somehow, Leo had the most fun when they were together, the time they shared being his guilty peasure. Eichi liked killing boredom with Leo and Leo liked to entertain Eichi. Why did it have to end up so wrong? He knew the answer but really didn't want to think back about how he got crushed both on the stage and in his feelings.

  
_"And you ? I wonder what you'd want if wou ever win against me, not like it's ever gonna happen but you can dream I guess ahahaha !"_ Ah, yeah, what a blind, prideful king he was.

  
Maybe he shouldn't have left school after that. Maybe if he had been sincere, maybe he could have called Eichi out and finally ended this stupid "war" stuff. But he liked it before, the thrill to fight as idols like others fight for their life, it made his life a bit more exciting. Now he realises that it was stupid. He doesn't really regret it though, he only wished they could have tried to be close again, in a better, healthier way after he came back, they didn't really talk during their third years . Maybe because you were avoiding him as much as you could. Whatever.

  
_"What I would want ? Isn't it obvious already ? I'd like you to entertain me one more time, I'd love for us to play another game, Tsukinaga-kun."_

  
He hadn't thought much of it when Eichi said that to him the first time but now it felt like a dirty blow. Maybe Eichi hasn't meant to hurt him, maybe he wasn't just a toy to him. Or at the very least maybe he was Eichi's special toy, like a young child who couldn't get enough of a little toy soldier. That really isn't something anyone should want but Leo's self destructive tendencies would argue. Fuck, he should have asked Eichi the truth when that blockhead could still answer. In the end, there haven't been another jointed live between their two units, Leo had made sure it wouldn't happen, but now he regrets it. He wondered how he would have felt standing on stage with his Knights and Eichi, not as foes this time but as friends.  
It was so unfair.  
It was only now that he realized his hands had been playing by themselves the whole time, he hadn't wrote anything before the ceremony and hadn't thought of what to play either. He didn't want to be able to play the same melody again, it would feel weird. Ah ? His vision has become blurry now, and he can feel the warm and wet trails on his cheeks, falling one by one on the paino keys. This is bad.

  
It's fine though, he says to himself. Leo knows what he has to do, he'll just do like he has always done, forget. Oh yeah he was good at forgetting things wasn't he ? Names, people, memories, all flushed down the black hole of his mind. Yes, he will do just that, he'll forget all about the boy who was lying in a coffin.  
  
Ah ?  
  
What was his name already ? He can't remember.  
  
Leo had never been a good liar, except when it comes to lying to himself. Denying reality was his speciality after all.

  
___________________

  
The boy is sitting behind Leo, leaning on his back with arms loose around his chest. He brings his head closer to Leo's and says, in a whisper that makes Leo's heart miss a beat :

  
_Tsukinaga-kun, write me a song._

  
Leo is writing music notes on a paper he found in the room, which was probably an important paper or something but who cares ? Not him that's for sure. He doesn't answer, and one could think he was too lost in his thoughts to be listening, but then he looks up with a very obviously forced pout,

  
_Eh ? Noooo way ! I ony write songs about things and people that inspire me, didn't I tell you that already ?  
_

Leo sighs.  
The other boy put his hand on his chest in a theatrical way and fakes a sad face,

_Tsukinaga-kun is so rude, it hurts... I, too, have feelings, you know ? Ah, my heart is broken, I feel like I might just die..._

  
Leo rolls his eyes, he has heard this sentence a million times already, Jeez, you're so annoying, if you wanna die just die already. Good thing Leo never wanted to be an actor because no one in the world could believe he means what he just said. He stands up and turns to face the boy, eyes widening like if a genius thought just crossed his mind. He leans down to put a quick kiss on the boy's lips. They've been doing that for a while now, but they never adressed what it means or what is that thing that has been going between us. It's just there, and it makes them feels like they're a real King and a real Emperor standing on top of the world, and it's enough to make them unable to see that they're just two teenage boys in love.

  
Eichi gives him a soft smile,

 

_If I die, then, will you make me a requiem ?_

**Author's Note:**

> congrats on making it to the end of this fic here's a medal


End file.
